SELF-CARE SUPPORT IN DIABETES CARE --A Literature Review of Intervention Effects

Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 as a disease is growing at an alarming rate globally. The growth is seen in all countries and in all socioeconomic areas. The National Board of Health and Welfare of Sweden (2015), in its national guidelines for diabetic care, indicated that nursing interventions are the central part of diabetes care. However, as a survey done by Healthcare Analysis presented, these interventions were not applied as indicated. Orems’ Self-Care Deficit Nursing theory aims to empower and guide patients in the self-care process through different nursing interventions. Previous research on what effect nursing interventions has on Diabetes Type 2 patients has had mixed results and are outdated. Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the effects nursing interventions had in supporting self-care in Type 2 Diabetes patients, in research conducted over the last 5 years. Method: A literature review was conducted based on 13 articles found on the databases CINAHL and PubMed. The articles were chosen through different inclusion and exclusion criteria. Result: Analysis of the results generated four different themes: clinical outcomes, self-care capacity, quality of life and other effects. The effect of the different interventions varied to some extent. Conclusions: Interventions that included in central recommendations from National Guidelines for Diabetic Care showed positive outcomes, either applied alone, or combined with other interventions; however, we found no evidence that support persistence of these effects. Further research is required to examine more exactly which interventions had the most clinical effect on patients.